Institute for Astronomy to hold lunar exclipse viewing parties

The April 14 lunar eclipse will be total from 9:06 to 10:24 p.m. Art by K. Teramura & M. Chen.

On the evening of Monday, April 14, 2014, the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa will hold free eclipse parties for the public at Kapiʻolani Park in Waikīkī and next to the Kahuku Public Library from 7:00 to 11:30 p.m. Members of the public will have the opportunity to see the eclipsed moon and other celestial sights through telescopes and binoculars.

Although the eclipse will start at 6:53 p.m. HST, it will not be visible until 7:58 p.m. The most interesting part, when the Moon will be very dark and possibly blood red, will take place from 9:06 to 10:24 p.m. Although the eclipse will take place on April 15 in many other parts of the world, in Hawaiʻi it will occur on April 14 because of Hawaiʻi’s time zone.

Said Dr. Roy Gal, IfA Outreach Coordinator, “Celestial events like this eclipse are a great opportunity for us astronomers to reach out to the community, especially here in Hawaiʻi, where knowledge of the night sky is an integral part of the culture and history. We love to get people looking up and thinking about our connection to the rest of the universe.” He pointed out that this is an unusual year in that there will be another total lunar eclipse visible in Hawaiʻi on the night of October 7-8.

The Kapiʻolani Park event will happen on Soccer Field #5, which is located on Paki Avenue near the corner of Monsarrat Avenue. There is free parking both on the streets and in lots accessible from Monsarrat Avenue.

The Kahuku Public Library is located at 56-490 Kamehameha Highway in Kahuku on Oʻahu’s North Shore.

Founded in 1967, the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa conducts research into galaxies, cosmology, stars, planets, and the sun. Its faculty and staff are also involved in astronomy education, deep space missions, and in the development and management of the observatories on Haleakala and Maunakea. The Institute operates facilities on the islands of Oʻahu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi.